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Highway signs dedicated to veterans

The St. Landry Parish Veterans Memorial Highway sign is unveiled during ceremonies Tuesday at the St. Landry Parish Veterans Memorial. La. 182, which runs in front of the memorial, will now be called St. Landry Parish Veterans Memorial Highway.(Photo: Freddie Herpin;ODW)

A ceremony brought veterans and members of the St. Landry Parish community together Tuesday evening to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country.

The St. Landry Parish Veterans Memorial Committee held the event celebrate the recent renaming of a section of Highway 182 to St. Landry Parish Veterans Memorial Highway.

Project Chairman Pat Mason-Guillory said after the ceremony, said her journey honoring veterans and their families started over 20 years ago when her son called was deployed to Saudi Arabia for Desert Storm.

Last year, memorial had its formal dedication ceremony after 10 years in the making. Mason-Guillory said Tuesday was a little something extra on top.

“To have this (sign ceremony) is like icing on the cake,” she said holding back tears of joy. “These signs will speak for itself on this highway. It’s a sign that we must never forget.”

Six living St. Landry Parish World War II veterans were honored during the ceremony.

Sen. Elbert Guillory said a day doesn’t go by that he doesn’t think about all the veterans.

“Every morning when I wake up, I thank God and the veterans who have kept this nation free,” he said during his speech to the audience.

“This is remarkable,” said memorial committee member and veteran Charles Ross. “It’s important to me because I am a veteran but more importantly for the World War II veterans. This is a wonderful experience for us all.”

Ross, who served in the military during the Korean War, said the ceremony speaks volumes for the parish and the veterans.

Mason-Guillory said Guillory and the Department of Transportation and Development helped get legislation passed in order to have the stretch of highway 182 renamed between Opelousas and Sunset.

“This memorial is to honor and show respect to those who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice and to their families,” she said after the ceremony. “We want people to come and enjoy it. It’s a place of serenity and a place of education.”

The Department of Transportation and Development installed the new signs Wednesday.